I lie on the grass overlooking the pebbly beach. I hear the sound of the waves lapping. The stars are out, after the fading of colours of the high rugged mountains opposite. I am wild camping on Cres island in Croatia. Stunning.
Today I crossed the Istrian peninsula from one side to the other. Its bigger than it looks and hilly to boot. I cycled along quiet roads that meandered from one little town to the next. I passed fields, forests, grassy plains as I climbed up a bit, then drop a bit, then climb some more.
I don’t know if they are glacial, but I passed two very steep grooves in the landscape. Rolling hillsides, then bang – a steep rut in the landscape. They were sweaty work climbing out of, but were very pretty.
Along the bottom of the grooves were lovely flat valleys, that rose up steeply on the sides like a glacial u-valley.
I had a ferry to catch at 16.30 to the island of Cres. I thought at first I could catch the earlier one at 13.30. Silly me. It is hot and steep. In the end, I pushed myself up the steep hills, dripping in sweat to make it in time.
I asked around for a flat bit of ground to camp. They pointed me to the village beach. Not a bad spot for my first wild camp..
Postscript: Its 4:30 am in my tent. I look into myself. No. I’m not scared. But I’m listening intently. I can only hear. All I see is the inside of the tent with my big pupiled eyes.
I recognise the lapping of the water. Sometimes a gurgle.
The water is quite relaxing. I can imagine it lapping on the pebbles and the rocks on the end on the beach.
Then a snap. I twig breaking in the steeply rising forest behind me. My ears perk up. Then another one. Snap. Then a small rumble as a slide of small rocks chatter down the slope.
Gurgle gurgle. Lap lap.
I start to doze.
Then with an automatic jolt of adrenalin I am brought to my senses by a gallop of something across the pebbly beach.
Gurgle gurgle. Lap lap.
Snap.
Then something running around on the grass. A reindeer? I’ve no idea. About that size, I’d guess.
Wait. Just then I heard a bird sound together with the snap and rumble. A big bird?
Gurgle gurgle. Lap lap.
I think I know all the sounds. Time for sleep. I have a big hill to climb before the next ferry to krk.
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